Recent Reports Provide Details on Digital Media Usage in the UK and Germany

LONDON�London may be the digital capital of the world when it comes to radio, but it is not the most successful region when it comes to digital radio listening. London digital radio currently has a share of 45.9 percent, according to the sixth annual "Digital Radio Report" from UK media regulator Ofcom (covered in DRUhere).

In London there are 64 radio stations transmitted via DAB; in most regions of the UK there are between 25 and 44.� Areas where there are less than 25 stations are becoming rare, according toradio.nl.

Four regions scored higher in digital listening than London: The leader is the county Nottinghamshire, where digital radio has a share of 50.5 percent.� The others are Edinburgh (46.4 percent), Herts, Beds and Bucks (west of London, 48.5 percent) and Sussex (south of London, 48.8 percent).

The number of DAB radios sold in recent years has actually fallen slightly in the UK. 1.8 million DAB radios were sold in 2013, but in 2014, 1.6 million were sold. The number of analog radios sold decreased even more in proportion: 2.8 million in 2015 compared to 3.4 million in 2013. Currently, 36.4 percent�of the total sold and radios DAB radio.

In Germany, the Munich-based market research institute Facit Media Efficiency has figured out what Germans listen to and how, and published it in their report �Age of Ears � the Digital Audio Society and its typology.�

An 8200 person sample of the population, aged from 14 to 59, took part in an online survey on their media and audio use. They were asked about the equipment they use, their listening habits, favorite genres, lifestyle, values, attitudes towards advertising and brands, consumer habits, leisure activities etc.� The results show that he 63.7 million in that age group can be divided into two major groups: Around 23.1 million people only listen to FM radio and use their own sound recordings (CDs etc), while the remaining 40.6 million � almost two thirds � use modern audio, defined primarily as digital services such as web radio, radio apps or music streaming, and listening to audio on smart phones, etc.

�Modern (media), especially mobile audio use, is more significant than previously thought with 64 percent�of Germans already using modern devices to listen to audio and increasingly utilizing digital and Internet services,� according to serviceplan.com.